To meet requirements of full disclosure, a computer program listing of the object code for a hypermedia processing system that implements the processing logic of the preferred embodiment appears on a single microfiche including 45 frames.
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to computer processing systems, and more particularly, to the direct manipulation of information by users to easily create hyperlinks and hyperlinked documents.
2. Description of Prior Art
Present hypermedia processing systems provide a cumbersome method of creating hyperlinks and hyperlinked documents. For example, to create a hyperlink within a current document using a typical prior art system, a user is required to 1) first create a new document that will serve as the destination of the hyperlink; 2) in the current document, highlight a string of text specifying the location of the hyperlink; 3) select a menu or toolbar command that displays a-file selection dialog box; 4) enter the new document as the destination of the hyperlink in the dialog box; 5) press a button in the dialog box that closes the dialog box and saves the new document as the destination of the hyperlink.
The present invention provides a method and system for creating hyperlinks and hyperlinked documents from the direct manipulation of information in a hypermedia processing system, or the like, in a fashion that requires little effort on the part of the user. In accordance with the present invention, the user can effortlessly create hyperlinks and hyperlinked documents in one seamless motion by simply pressing a predetermined key, such as the Shift key, while dragging and dropping source-visual elements such as a text element onto target visual elements such as another text element. The present invention. defines the method and system herein as a xe2x80x9cdrag and linkxe2x80x9d operation, enabling the user to create hyperlinks and hyperlinked documents with the familiar ease of the conventional drag and drop operation. Thus, the present invention defines a method and system for easily creating hyperlinks and hyperlinked documents from the direct manipulation of information that is vastly simpler than the cumbersome process implemented by prior art systems.
Accordingly, several objects and advantages of the present invention are:
(a) direct manipulation of information for convenience and speed;
(b) creates hyperlinks and hyperlinked documents in one seamless user interface operation rather than in multiple cumbersome steps as required in prior art systems;
(c) automatically creates new documents on the fly as needed;
(d) automatically creates hyperlinks connecting user-specified drop targets to newly created documents;
(e) automatically titles newly created documents.
Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description.